Published: 27th April 2026  |  Reading time: approx. 9 minutes

How Managers Should Respond to Stress and Mental Health Concerns at Work

The Manager's Role in Psychosocial Safety

Under Australian WHS law, managers are not simply people who direct work - they are part of the mechanism through which a PCBU meets its duty of care. How a manager responds to a worker showing signs of distress is a WHS matter, not just a people management issue.

Research consistently shows that the quality of the relationship between a worker and their direct manager is one of the strongest predictors of psychological wellbeing at work. A manager who responds well to early signs of distress can prevent a situation from escalating. A manager who dismisses, minimises, or avoids can make it significantly worse - and expose the organisation to legal liability in the process.

Manager capability in this area is therefore not a soft skill add-on. It is a core component of a functioning psychosocial risk management system.

Recognising the Signs of Stress and Distress

Workers experiencing psychological distress do not always ask for help directly. Managers need to know what to look for. Common indicators include:

Behavioural changes

• Withdrawal from team interactions or social contact at work
• Increased irritability, short temper, or uncharacteristic emotional responses
• Reduced productivity or difficulty concentrating on tasks they normally handle well
• Missing deadlines or making errors at a frequency that is unusual for that person
• Arriving late, leaving early, or taking frequent unplanned absences

Physical indicators

• Visible fatigue, appearing unwell, or significant changes in appearance
• Frequent complaints of headaches, stomach issues, or other physical symptoms without a clear cause
• Frequent short-term sick leave, particularly on Mondays or Fridays

Work-related indicators

• Expressed concerns about workload, relationships, or their role
• Comments suggesting they feel overwhelmed, unsupported, or unable to cope
• Reluctance to take on work they previously handled without hesitation

How to Have the Conversation

The prospect of having a conversation about mental health or stress stops many managers in their tracks. They worry about saying the wrong thing, making it worse, or overstepping. The good news is that a supportive, well-structured conversation does not require clinical expertise - it requires preparation, presence, and a few clear principles.

Before the conversation

• Choose a private setting - never have this conversation in an open office or where others can overhear
• Allow enough time - do not schedule it between two other meetings where you will feel rushed
• Be clear in your own mind that your role is to listen and support, not to diagnose or solve
• Familiarise yourself with what support resources are available - EAP, HR, leave entitlements

During the conversation

What not to say

Even well-intentioned responses can land badly. Avoid the following:

• "Everyone is stressed right now" - this minimises the individual's experience
• "You just need to push through it" - this puts the burden back on the individual
• "Have you thought about talking to someone?" as the only response - this deflects rather than engages
• "I'm sure it's nothing serious" - you do not know that, and it may not be true
• Sharing your own similar experiences at length - the focus should remain on the worker

What to Do After the Conversation

The conversation itself is only the first step. What happens after it is equally important.

Follow through on commitments

If you agreed to check in again in three days, do it. If you said you would look into a workload issue, look into it. A worker who raises a concern and then hears nothing back is likely to conclude that raising concerns is pointless - which makes the next problem less likely to surface early.

Address the workplace factors

If the conversation revealed work-related contributors - excessive workload, lack of clarity, conflict with a colleague, inadequate support - these need to be treated as WHS issues and documented in your risk management process. A supportive conversation does not substitute for addressing the underlying hazard.

Connect the worker with support

Make sure the worker knows what support is available and how to access it. If your organisation has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), remind them that it is confidential and free to use. If the situation is serious, consider whether a referral to HR or occupational health is appropriate.

Monitor without hovering

Check in periodically - not intrusively, but consistently. A brief "how are you going this week?" in a regular one-on-one signals that you are still paying attention without making the worker feel surveilled or singled out.

When to Escalate to a Formal Process

Not every situation can or should be managed informally. Escalate to HR or a formal WHS process when:

• The worker raises a formal complaint about bullying, harassment, or another specific workplace hazard
• The situation involves a risk to the safety of the worker or others
• You have addressed the issue informally and the worker's situation has not improved
• The worker requests a formal process
• The issue involves another manager or a senior leader - do not attempt to manage this informally
• You are unsure whether what you are hearing constitutes a notifiable incident under WHS law

Common Manager Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding the conversation altogether

The most common mistake is not having the conversation at all. Managers often hope that if they wait long enough, the situation will resolve itself. Sometimes it does. More often it compounds - and by the time it becomes impossible to ignore, significantly more damage has been done.

Treating it as a performance issue first

A worker whose performance has dropped may be struggling psychologically. Initiating a formal performance management process before exploring whether there is an underlying welfare issue is both poor practice and a common source of workers' compensation claims. Welfare first, performance second.

Promising confidentiality you cannot keep

Do not tell a worker that a conversation will be "completely confidential" if you know that certain disclosures will require you to act. Be honest: "I'll keep this as private as I can, but if something comes up that I'm required to report or escalate, I'll let you know before I do that."

Doing nothing with the information

A manager who listens, nods, and then takes no action has not helped - they have potentially made things worse by giving the worker the impression that raising the issue is futile. Every disclosure requires some form of documented follow-up, even if the outcome is simply a scheduled check-in.

Your Legal Obligations as a Manager

Under the WHS Act, officers and managers have a personal duty to exercise due diligence in relation to WHS. This includes psychological health. Specifically, managers are expected to:

• Respond to worker concerns about psychological safety promptly and appropriately
• Not take adverse action against a worker for raising a WHS concern
• Escalate matters that require HR or senior management involvement
• Maintain records of conversations and actions taken
• Not allow their own discomfort with the topic to prevent them from acting

A manager who is aware of a worker's distress and takes no action - or who actively discourages the worker from raising the issue - is not simply failing at people management. They are potentially breaching their WHS obligations and exposing both themselves and the organisation to significant legal risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if a worker doesn't want to talk about it?

Respect their position, you cannot force a conversation. However, you can make clear that your door is open, that support is available, and that you will check in again. Do not interpret a reluctance to talk as confirmation that everything is fine. Document your attempt to check in regardless.

What if the worker starts crying or becomes very distressed during the conversation?

Stay calm, give them space, and do not rush to move past the emotion. Offer water, a tissue, and a moment to compose themselves. If the level of distress seems serious, particularly if the worker says anything that suggests they may harm themselves, follow your organisation's crisis response procedure and contact HR or emergency services if required.

Can I ask a worker directly if they are okay?

Yes, and you should. Asking someone directly "are you okay?" does not plant ideas or make things worse. It signals that you have noticed, that you care, and that it is safe to be honest. Most workers who are struggling simply want to feel seen before they feel helped.

What if the stress is coming from outside work?

Personal circumstances outside work are not within your direct control, but they are relevant context. Your role is to ensure the workplace is not adding to the burden and to connect the worker with support resources such as EAP that can assist with both work and personal matters. Be compassionate but stay in your lane: you are a manager, not a counsellor.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional WHS advice. If you are dealing with a serious mental health situation in your workplace, seek guidance from a qualified occupational health professional or your state WHS regulator.